Planning

S/2007/1120 – 126 Firs Road, Firsdown - Full application – proposed extension to existing garage and formation of first floor garden room over and associated works.  The Parish Council objected to this application.

DR/S07.8008 – Wiltshire County Council – Temporary refuse (waste) transfer facility – Thorny Down.  The Parish Council had no objection to this application.

If any residents have a proposed development next to them and would like the Parish Council to know their concerned views then they should contact the Parish Clerk.  Residents should note that the Parish Council has a constrained time period in which to reply to planning applications so any concerns should be noted to the Council as soon as practicably possible.

Parish Plan

The Steering Group responsible for the Parish Plan has recently distributed to all households a leaflet regarding the second stage of the Parish Plan questionnaire.  It is hoped that once all the information from this recent mail drop is collated and disseminated that a Parish Plan can be begin to be formulated.

Highways

Police officers have recently visited Firs Road on several occasions to carry out speed checks of vehicles travelling along the road. 

Grass and hedge cutting

Grass and hedge cutting has been carried out in recent weeks: the grass in the two play areas has been cut; the cutting of the hedge on the permissive path from number 99 Firs Road to the back of the woods has been cut by a kind local resident and in addition a strip of grass on the Roman Road by an unknown resident.

The up keep and cutting back of overgrown vegetation is one of the major concerns of the Parish Council and the current Council works very hard to listen to all of the views of the residents.  The Parish Council does have financial restrictions and the precept that the Parish Council receives each year from the District Council has to cover a variety of necessary needs.  Grass cutting is high on the agenda and we have recently accepted a quote for the cutting of the two play areas, four times a year.  In addition we are very fortunate in having the services of the Parish Steward who visits once a month and one of our Councillor's liaises with him in order that some grass strimming is undertaken as part of his work remit.  We are also fortunate, in that certain residents very kindly offer and undertake grass cutting on behalf of all the residents.

Attendance of District and County Councillors at Parish Council meetings

The Parish Council has in recent months invited both the District and County Councillor’s to attend their Parish Council meetings, held each month with the exception of January and August, however, both Councillors have failed to attend and to give apologies for their absence.  It is hoped that either or both of the Councillors concerned will attend the September meeting.

Next Meeting: The next full meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday September 6th 2007 in the Committee Room, Winterslow Village Hall at 7.15pm.